


Lethdor -- The Investigation

by MaureenLycaon



Category: World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria - Fandom
Genre: Original Character(s), Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23122759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaureenLycaon/pseuds/MaureenLycaon
Summary: When Lethdor has to deal with a Void-possessed severed body part, he calls in the big guns.





	Lethdor -- The Investigation

**Author's Note:**

> (Part of a much longer rp series from long ago -- posted just because I like my writing here.
> 
> A troll's arm got possessed by a Void-related entity and had to be amputated. Lethdor has called in two of his Magister contacts to deal with it.
> 
> Yuanshi Zhu was never caught.
> 
> Copyright disclaimer: the Warcraft universe and games belong to Blizzard Entertainment. Only the interpretation and these particular words belong to me, Maureen Lycaon. No copyright challenge intended.)

The large, bloodstained wrapped package on the floor shimmies, jerks slightly, as the three Sin'dorei enter the chamber, talking.

". . . and you didn't handle it yourself at any point?" Magister Vyndil asks.

"Absolutely not." Lethdor shakes his head emphatically. "I have an allergy to anything having to do with Old Ones."

As if in response, a low growl emanates from the package. Vyndil's companion, Magister Galindis, looks startled, then concerned, her ears perking forward. It's the first emotion she's shown since meeting Lethdor. She strides alongside him, clearly impatient but not wanting to get ahead of him. An odd little box is tucked under her arm. Lethdor can sense the arcane energies woven into it, but they're too complex for him to make sense of.

He's known Galindis for a while. She uses goblin and gnome-manufactured probes and other equipment; he'd had his doubts about her when he first saw them. A mage relies on his own magical senses, not on machinery, to examine magic. But Galindis specializes in matters involving possible Old God influence. You run certain risks if you probe it with your bare mind, like going insane.

Lethdor leads them to the first circle. It's not a standard magical containment circle; it has some additional arcane runes and alterations to make it even more secure, at least from the inside.

"That's it," he says, pointing to the still-twitching package within. "The tome is in the second circle. Faen's gear is in the last one, the biggest one."

Galindis kneels down, holding the odd box with its jeweled lights and buttons. Two lights glow on it -- one yellow, one red. She extends her arms, pushing it nearly to the edge of the circle.

"Let's see what we're dealing with," she says quietly. Behind her, Magister Vyndil readies his staff, as if preparing for a fight. Lethdor can feel him gathering his power.

At first, only one thing changes on the box: another light comes on, this one a soft violet. Galindis's brows furrow, and she touches the box while uttering a nearly inaudible incantation. Then, the violet light flashes to almost painful brightness, and the box emits a loud chime.

"Yes." She nods, as if to herself. Anything else she might say is swallowed up by the horrendous, otherworldly snarl that tears through the air. The bundle jerks viciously, as if the severed arm within were struggling to break free.

When the snarl falls silent, though the bundle continues to move and jerk under its own power, Galindis looks up at Lethdor, her face a mask. "It is good that you came to us when you did."

"I'm just glad you came," Lethdor answers. "I wasn't sure if Master Lightspear's message would reach you."

"I'll need to take samples," Galindis says.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Lethdor asks. He really isn't sure how this sort of thing works.

Galindis doesn't answer for a moment, as she takes a couple of oddly-shaped implements from Vyndil and places them on the floor, then draws her own magical dagger. Then, "Not with our precautions."

"That doesn't give the -- entity -- something to live inside of and maybe possess someone else?" He should just shut up and let the Magisters do their job, but he's just too curious.

"We want to take the entity captive," Galindis answers. "Given small enough samples of the medium, and our containment procedures, the danger is almost nonexistent."

*Almost?* Lethdor thinks, but never asks the question, because Galindis has raised her hand for silence.

__

__

OFFICE OF THE MAGISTERS OF SILVERMOON CITY

CONFIDENTIAL

Report: Incident 76-A7, AB 

Date of filing: 02/10

Investigation of possible Old One-related incident: devotional tome and anomalous possession of body part, 01/06.

Result of investigation: POSITIVE.

Situation: still under investigation.

(Partial summary:)  
. . . This case was unusual in that the initial possession was not of an artifact or of a living being but of a severed arm, formerly belonging to Yuanchi Zhu, a Darkspear troll. Only a handful of such cases have involved Old God-related entities before now, and the most recent one was 394 years ago. The entity proved to be a class Z-c (minor servitor, non-sentient). Samples were taken, after which the arm was destroyed while still in the containment circle, by magical immolation and subsequent destruction of the ashes according to standard procedure.

Lady Faenileda Sunhammer and Lord Lethdor Morningshard were both subjected to deep magical scanning. The subjects suffered nothing more than normal side effects (vomiting, severe headaches, dysphoria). No trace of contamination was found. A memory wipe was deemed unnecessary and was not performed. It was noted that Lady Faenileda appears to have unusually high mental barriers to possession, as well as an extensive command of profanity in three languages. No charges were filed for insulting a Magister.

Lingering evidence of the possessing entity was discovered in the samples. This is presumably the entity that communicated with and attempted (unsuccessfully) to hypnotize Lady Faenileda, as it matches the results of the mind scan.

The tome, a Nerubian clerical instruction manual, appears to be copied from an original dating back to the period when the Nerubians still worshiped the Old Gods. As such, it includes material that falls under Hazardous Tomes Regulation 289.C (Old God-Related Invocational Literature). It has been delivered to the Reliquary's Elder Gods Research Subcommittee for further study.

The objects belonging to Lady Faenileda were found to have Level 2 residual contamination (mild), except for the axes, which had Level 3 contamination (physical contact). Standard cleansing and decontamination procedures were successful. The objects were returned to Lady Faenileda after the scan.

Further action required: apprehend Yuanshi Zhu and bring him in for magical interrogation.

We regret that we have yet have been unable to contact Yuanshi Zhu. Results of the mind scan on Faenileda revealed that he is currently living in Thunder Bluff. We suggest that the Magistry contact Shu'halo authorities and request that they bring him in -- forcibly, if necessary -- and turn him over to us for questioning and a mind scan. We appreciate the poor state of relations between Shu'halo and Sin'dorei authorities, but quite aside from the possible danger of continuing possession, we cannot emphasize strongly enough the need to determine if more such tomes are available for random wandering adventurers to access.


End file.
